Turkey's education problems revealed in OECD-wide education test PISA

The results of the international PISA education test has revealed a number of education problems in Turkey, with the opposition and education experts blaming the system for the failure.

Turkey dropped from 44th spot to the 49th compared to the last test in 2012, according to the results made public on Dec. 6.

Republican People's Party (CHP) Bursa lawmaker Ceyhun İrgil said the Turkish education system was comatose.

"The Turkish education system is in a coma. This crisis is more serious than the European Union and dollar issues, and this issue goes beyond parties," he said. 

The number of Turkish 15-year-olds who scored below average on the triennial PISA test, which is conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is three times more than the number of students who scored below average in more successful countries, according to test results. 

Some 31.2 percent of Turkish students below 15 years of age underperformed in mathematics, sciences and reading, according to the results of the PISA test.

In contrast, only 10 percent of students in countries that neared the top of the list underperformed on math, sciences and reading.

Turkey scored 420 points on the math test to place it 49th out of 72 countries. Turkey was also 52nd in science and 50th in reading. Four years ago, Turkey was 43rd in science and 41st in reading.

"We want a parliamentary study immediately," İrgil said. 

"It means [this issue] is a great disaster for Turkey's socioeconomic future," he said, that specialists had to "operate" on the education system in the same way that a surgeon would operate on a patient in a coma.  

"The PISA 2015 results are clearly telling us, 'Turkey...